The Chicago Bears have been busy over the past 24 hours. They signed wide receiver Isaiah Ford to bolster the wide receiving corps ahead of training camp. Now it's revealed he wasn't alone. The team also added linebacker Buddy Johnson. It isn't hard to understand why they liked him. Johnson was a 4th round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2021. His initial appeal was his high-grade athleticism. At 6'1, 230 lbs, he can run with 4.58 speed and had a 38.5-inch vertical leap. The guy has explosiveness in his game.
He was a productive player at Texas A&M, amassing 209 tackles, 6.5 sacks, and an interception. Scouting reports called him an excellent leader on and off the field who did his best work against the run. Unfortunately, he couldn't crack the lineup in Pittsburgh, appearing in only four games. He also failed to carve out a role on special teams. So after two years, the Steelers chose to part ways. Now it seems Johnson is hoping to find out if he can make a go of things in a different defensive system.
The Chicago Bears likely see Johnson as depth.
If this were last season, he might have a better shot at competing for a job. That became less likely after the Bears added Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, and Noah Sewell this off-season. Their top five spots on the depth chart, along with Jack Sanborn and special teams ace Dylan Cole, are already locked up. That means Johnson will compete with guys like DeMarquis Gates and Sterling Weatherford for the sixth and final roster spot. It won't be easy. Both of those guys have a head start on him regarding the defensive system and also have more special teams value.
If Johnson wants to be anything more than a camp body, he has to step up from where he was in Pittsburgh. That means making plays in practice and working harder to become somebody of value on special teams. It's not like he isn't capable. The athleticism is there. The work ethic and alpha mentality are there. He has to show it on the field. Either way, this is the kind of cheap move many teams make this time of year. The roster must be filled out.
